Cyclocross pro races?

page23

Hi,

I'm really keen to take a trip to Belgium to watch and soak up the atmosphere of some elite cyclocross races.

Does anyone have any advice on which sites to check, best way to do it. etc?

Thanks.

Greggyr

I'm planning to make my CX debut at Koksijde in November. I'm doubling-up with the Ghent 6 day race that weekend as well. The CX is just across the French/Belgian border so is close to the channel ports & channel tunnel

ddraver

Not sure I can add much other than find the list of venues and dates (probably somewhere on the UCI site)

Book Monday off (they re usually sunday afternoon)

Book a campsite/Hotel there

Put car on Ferry Friday night, drive up (won't be too long)

Sleep

Examine town on saturday

Drink copius amounts of Excellent beer Saturday night

Hair of the Dog Sunday mornign with Frites and Fritesaus

Scream hoarse at some unknown Belgian Guy

Repeat Saturday night

Drive home

Monty Dog

Here's the World Cup calendar:
http://www.uci.ch/templates/BUILTIN-NOF ... c&LangId=1

Plus there's non-WC races like Koppenberg which also attract the big stars.

hammerite

Monty Dog wrote:

Here's the World Cup calendar:
http://www.uci.ch/templates/BUILTIN-NOF ... c&LangId=1

Plus there's non-WC races like Koppenberg which also attract the big stars.

When I clicked that link it went to 2012 races which is last season. You need to change to 2013 for this coming season's races. I just planned a weekend to the World Champs for my birthday and then thought it strange that they were using the same venue consecutive years! Unfortunately I don't think I can get to Kentucky for the weekend.

As Monty says look at GVA and Superprestige races.

FJS

Next to the World Cup there's the Superprestige (http://neo.superprestigecyclocross.com/) and Gazet van Antwerpen Trofee (http://www.gvatrofee.be/) competitions, which all the big names will ride.

This is next year's calendar: http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/2884/Veldrijde ... 2013.dhtml

Gavere and Koppenberg are often particularly muddy

Should be able to put together a good weekend

PS, cyclo-cross is 'veldrijden' in Flemish/Dutch

hammerite

Do the European Champs get a good turn out from the top riders?

http://www.ip-cross.com/euro2012/intro.html

FJS

hammerite wrote:

Do the European Champs get a good turn out from the top riders?

http://www.ip-cross.com/euro2012/intro.html

It's only espoirs, juniors and women categories. So, no elite men, and probably also no top pro U23s, who can earn more racing in Flanders the same weekend. Might get some top level women though

hammerite

thanks FJS

hammerite

FJS (or anyone else in the know) - do you know what the usual schedule is for the GVA/Superprestige races?

Wondering how feasible it is to get away with an early drive/channel crossing to get to a race on the Saturday morning before the race and just staying over on the Saturday night.

FJS

hammerite wrote:

FJS (or anyone else in the know) - do you know what the usual schedule is for the GVA/Superprestige races?

Wondering how feasible it is to get away with an early drive/channel crossing to get to a race on the Saturday morning before the race and just staying over on the Saturday night.

Not sure what is 'usual', but most of those elite races are broadcast and normally live on TV around mid-afternoon. I'd simply google the races you're interested in and check each race's start times on their website (might need google translate).

Their boozy spectator events, unlikely to be scheduled early morning

hammerite

FJS wrote:

Not sure what is 'usual', but most of those elite races are broadcast and normally live on TV around mid-afternoon. I'd simply google the races you're interested in and check each race's start times on their website (might need google translate).

Their boozy spectator events, unlikely to be scheduled early morning

Thanks. By usual I was meaning do all races follow the same/similar race schedule on the day (U23s, elite ladies, elite men)? I know we're a tad more grass roots , but the league I race in tend to have the same race structure each week.

Ideally we'd want to get there for all races, not just the men.

page23

Thanks for all the advice!

page23

Greggyr wrote:

I'm planning to make my CX debut at Koksijde in November. I'm doubling-up with the Ghent 6 day race that weekend as well. The CX is just across the French/Belgian border so is close to the channel ports & channel tunnel

I'd be really interested to go to this and was just the sort of event I was after. I'm an absolute punter when it comes to all of this so was wondering if anyone might have some advice on places to stay etc?

ddraver

Well google search "Hotels Ghent" ot "Hotels Koksijde". That's usually the first step...You could camp if you re on a budget but then November in Belgium is likely to be cold and wet

If you can drive then I'd reccomend it, Public transport in belgium is not exceptional (but you could probably manage it if youre prepared to ask people which bus to where etc...)

hammerite

Bringing this one up again.....

Thinking of going over to watch with some mates, but the only weekend I think we can work out is in February. GVA in Lille and the Superprestige in Hoogstraaten. As these are after the Worlds how many of the top riders will have knocked off to start getting ready for road?

ddraver

??

Hardly any cross over between the 2 at that level...

greasedscotsman

Check out the top 10 from a similar event two weeks after the Worlds this year, looks pretty good to me!

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/superp ... en/results

Greggyr

Page23 wrote:

Greggyr wrote:

I'm planning to make my CX debut at Koksijde in November. I'm doubling-up with the Ghent 6 day race that weekend as well. The CX is just across the French/Belgian border so is close to the channel ports & channel tunnel

I'd be really interested to go to this and was just the sort of event I was after. I'm an absolute punter when it comes to all of this so was wondering if anyone might have some advice on places to stay etc?

I'm staying in Ghent and travelling to the CX and back again by train.

hammerite

greasedscotsman wrote:

Check out the top 10 from a similar event two weeks after the Worlds this year, looks pretty good to me!

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/superp ... en/results

yep looks fine to me greasedscotsman.

ddraver - Stybar, Sven Nys, Vos ride road.

ddraver

CycloX is their number 1 priority though, they are nt gonna be riding the Tour of Qatar or anything....

(Vos may be an exception, but then she just buggers off the front and wins so just imagine an orange jersey with a curly pony tail bouncing past and you ll be fine )

greasedscotsman

ddraver wrote:

CycloX is their number 1 priority though, they are nt gonna be riding the Tour of Qatar or anything....

(Vos may be an exception, but then she just buggers off the front and wins so just imagine an orange jersey with a curly pony tail bouncing past and you ll be fine )

You mean a World Champs jersey...

ddraver

Oh yeah, good point...

hammerite

Another question about going to watch a race. It seems some of these races are in a field in the middle of nowhere. Do the Belgians drink & drive (which I wouldn't consider doing) or take a designated driver along with them? Are there car parks nearby? Or is there usually some sort of shuttle from the nearest place with a train station?

I think I'm going to end up being our groups driver and taking my car, but I'd prefer to be able to have a beer on the Saturday at least. I obviously wouldn't entertain drink driving.

rick_chasey

Cycle. Duh

hammerite

Really Rick? Everyone?

Unfortunately we won't have bikes with us.

rick_chasey

I'm making it up. I have no idea.

hammerite

Fair enough. I wouldn't fancy cycling in the winter, getting warm and then standing around all day drinking. Would make for an interesting ride home popped up in the dark.